Man held on $50K bail after found hanging out with "ice" and female juveniles

A man held on bail of $50,000 is charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Feta’i Auleafe will be arraigned in the High Court today on allegations that he was in possession of methamphetamine.

The drug charge is a felony that is punishable up to the mandatory jail term of not less than five years, a fine of not less than $5,000 up to $20,000, or both fine and jail term.

According to the government’s case a confidential informant notified police that a group of individuals was hanging out at an abandoned house in Tafuna and females were present in this group.

Police arrived at the scene to find four men and two female juveniles. The government alleges that police looked for the female juveniles and found then hiding in a vehicle. One told police she was 18 while the other said she was 19 years of age.

One of the juveniles had a black pouch in her hand which was handed over to police. It contained empty plastic baggies commonly used to pack methamphetamine and cut up soda straws commonly used to load ice in the small plastic baggies.

The defendant told police that he saw a plastic baggie on the ground, he picked it up and put it in is pocket, then minutes later the police arrived.

One of the two juveniles told police that the defendant picked them up from their house, they went to their 'hang out' place and while they were in the defendant’s vehicle, the defendant started smoking his ice in front of them and then the defendant made the young girls smoke three hits from the glass pipe.

The juveniles also told police they smoked ice at the same place last week Thursday.

Court filings state that one of the juveniles told police that Romeo Peretania was providing methamphetamine for her and they have smoked ice more than ten times. Police investigation uncovered the fact that the juveniles are both on probation.

The government claims the investigation also revealed that the defendant is engaged in an affair with one of the juveniles while the other juvenile is having an affair with Peretania.

Court filings state that the juveniles have been confirmed to be 16 and 17 years old.

The defendant was scheduled to have his preliminary examination in the District Court yesterday however he waived his rights to that hearing.